Review: Forged in Ember by Trish McCallan

Forged in Ember (Red-Hot SEALs #4) by Trish McCallan
Publication Date: May 15th 2018 by Montlake Romance
Pages: 394
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About the book:

In the final novel in the scorching Red-Hot SEALs series, a desperate mother and a Navy SEAL fight fire with fire to protect their love and save the world…

Amy Chastain has made a lot of enemies—none so ruthless as the insanely powerful New Ruling Order (NRO). When they killed her husband, it was hell. Then they targeted her children by injecting them with a dangerous, experimental isotope. Now Amy trusts only one man to help her: the ex-commander of SEAL Team 7.

In the company of Navy SEALs, Jace “Mac” Mackenzie was in his physical element. Now he’s on the run from the same cabal that poisoned Amy’s children. That doesn’t stop him from launching a mission to bring down the NRO—and find an antidote. But the clock is ticking. And as the sparks fly between him and Amy, Mac realizes he has more to lose than ever before.

As Mac closes in on the NRO, he uncovers a plot that threatens more than Amy’s children. Now it’s a race against time to stop a global conspiracy, save the woman he loves, and protect the family that’s starting to feel like his.

My Thoughts:

Forged in Ember was a thrilling conclusion to the Red-Hot SEALs series!  A series full of danger, action, suspense and characters I’ve grown to love and care about.

I have been looking forward to Mac and Amy’s romance since we’ve been building toward it for quite sometime now, and it did not disappoint.  Mac, SEAL Team’s leader has been an abrasive, foul-mouth character throughout the series, so I was pleased to get his softer side, and find out what was behind all that edge.  Mac had good reason to put up a shield, but Amy and her boys break that barrier and burrow right in!

Amy has been through so much, losing her husband five months earlier when the NRO murdered him.  Now finding out her boys were injected with a lethal tracking compound, they’re in a race to find a cure before it’s too late.  Yet, with all of that, Amy feels shored up by Mac, and his unwavering support. When he’s near, a calm settles over her, and their attraction heats up to the point of distraction!

There’s a lot going on here, the future of Amy’s children as well as the future of the human race, but the focus is on Amy, Mac and her boys.  As a mother, I could easily relate to Amy’s powerful, on-the-edge-emotions and get how she could fall in love again so soon after her husband’s passing. 

I’m sad to say goodbye to the series, and I wonder if we’ll get more stories from this world because Wolf and Jillian’s story was left open when I wanted more.  I guess we’ll see.

3.5 Suns

Review: Forged in Smoke by Trish McCallan

Forged in Smoke (Red-Hot SEALs #3) by Trish McCallan

Publication Date: July 19th 2016 by Montlake Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

Faith Ansell could never be mistaken for an action hero. The scientist is content in her lab, working with her team on life-changing discoveries. But when a mysterious organization captures her colleagues, she’s forced to flee for her life with SEAL Team 7.

Lieutenant Seth “Rawls” Rawlings, ST7’s corpsman, hasn’t been himself since a near-death experience in the Sierra Nevadas. He’s tense and distracted, and the team caught him arguing with himself—loudly. Despite his erratic behavior, Rawls is the only one Faith feels comfortable confiding her life-threatening secret in.

But Rawls has a secret of his own: his wasn’t the only spirit to return to the physical plane when he was resuscitated. At first, Rawls assumed the “ghost” he saw and heard meant he was having a complete mental breakdown. But the apparition soon becomes convincingly real, and what’s more, he may be the key to the conspiracy looming over them. Rawls had better act quickly because ST7’s race to save their reputations—and Faith’s life—is on.

My Thoughts:

Faith Ansell is a brilliant scientist, and her work made her the target of a ruthless group intent on taking her research.  When her colleagues are kidnapped, SEAL Team 7 swoops in and rescues Faith, and now they’re in hiding, planning their next move.  In the midst of all this, Faith has a medical issue and needs help from one of the team’s members, Seth Rawls.  He’s sexy, and intimidating and Faith’s overcome with a wild attraction every time he’s near. Trouble is he seems to be having a crisis of his own. 

Seth was at death’s door until Kait and Cosky stepped in.  But Seth didn’t come back alone, and now he’s being haunted by a malevolent ghost who grows more powerful with every day that passes.  Seth needs to figure out how to get rid of this spirit before he can harm his other teammates or the civilians they now have staying with their group.  His attraction to the sweet, sexy scientist is not a complication Seth wants right now, but he can’t seem to stay away from her.

I LOVE this series! The combination of mystery, action, suspense and romance is well done and the stories have been pretty fast paced and exciting!  While the series is connected with an ongoing story arc/mystery, each book centers on one of a team mate’s romance.  There’s a paranormal element in each of the books, Zane, Cosky, Beth, and Kait all have a particular gift that has come in handy for their mission, and I think more is to come.  They’re up against a powerful group, so they’ll need all the advantages they can get!

I’m eagerly looking forward to Abby and Mackenzie’s story!  I’m very worried for Abby’s sons. Abby’s been through so much, but still remains strong and very capable! I love a kick-ass woman, and Mackenzie needs someone who can go toe to toe with him!

I received and e-copy for review, but I couldn't resist buying the audio version since Luke Daniels was narrating.  He is one of my all-time favorite male narrators, and as usual his performance only enhanced my enjoyment! I went back and forth between audio and e-copy.

4.5 Suns

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